It didn't work.

Leo kissed his dignity goodbye as the burning agony in his gut screamed up his gorge and into the bucket. He was so tired, and so frustrated and he just…just…. Silent tears streamed down his face, twin testaments to the pain, the exhaustion, which finally overwhelmed the usually stoic turtle. He had tried so hard to keep it together but he'd run into a wall at the end of his stamina and now all he could do was give in to the emotions running rampant inside. I was supposed to get better.

"Donnie!" Raphael bellowed from his place supporting their eldest brother.

"I know, I know!" Donatello's voice was taught as he rushed over with a loaded syringe. It was a struggle to keep Leo steady long enough to administer the powerful anti-emetic, but they managed, turning their focus then to comforting Leonardo through the rest of his latest bout. Finally he finished, sinking back into the vertical pillows, spent. Raphael had never been so gentle as he wiped the sweat and tears from Leo's waxy, drawn face. "Don, this isn't working." His eyes were solemn when they met the chocolate gaze of his little brother.

Donatello sighed and, rubbing his forehead, replied as he dragged a stool over. "Yeah. You're right."

Leo's voice was shaky, "So. What now?"

The olive turtle leaned back and cracked his neck. "Well. I think it could be one of two things. The most likely answer is that the antibiotics worked but the ulcer was too big to heal on its own and is still bleeding. If that is the case, the recommended course of action would be to cauterize the wound with a scope. There's no way to do that here. I don't have the necessary equipment, and a theft on that scale WILL draw unwanted attention. We'll have to go to a legit clinic after hours and make use of their scope." He ran a hand over his tired face. "I'll see which one is the best option for us, but for tonight, Raph? You and I should send in Mikey so we can get some rest."

Leonardo squeezed the emerald arm under his hand as he nodded. "Yeah, thanks guys. I'll see you in the morning ok?"

With a wane smile, and a rub on the head, Raphael answered. "Yeah ok Fearless. Don't give Mikey too much trouble kay?"

"Uh huh."

The younger brothers made their way out of the lab, waving Mikey over from in the kitchen. As they headed up the cold metal grate stairs, Raphael asked, "Yah said there were two things it could be Don."

Donatello stopped, and blew out a long breath. "The other possibility is that the antibiotics weren't strong enough and the infection is still present. But I really hope that isn't the case."

"Don?"

Donatello's eyes were tortured as he spoke. "With how strong those meds I pumped into him were, if they weren't enough, we're dealing with a super bug… And I'm not sure anything would be able to kill it." He sucked on his lip for a second, shook his head, then left his elder brother, stunned, on the stairs.

As covert break-ins went, it wasn't their most elegant. To be fair, it wasn't their most dangerous or difficult either, but with Leo needing help and Michelangelo insisting on carrying a bucket for him, "Seriously Mikey, it's New York. People do a lot worse things in the alleys than puke." they were a lot less, together, than they were used to. However a couple of bucket breaks later, they were in. Donatello was prepping the equipment as Splinter helped Leo settle on the exam chair, holding his hand as the tranquilizers he'd just taken started to relax him for the procedure. It wasn't like having a cauterizing tool and a camera shoved down your throat would ever be considered pleasant.

The brothers in red and orange were trying to keep occupied in the waiting room, out of the way, so as to give Leo as much privacy as possible. Oddly, since they'd never had to actually spend time in a doctor's waiting room before, the experience was somewhat novel for them. Never before had they seen so many old magazines in such good condition, and while they had to make do with the light coming through the front door from the hallway, there were some good reads in the pile.

Michelangelo shifted, trying to fit his shell between the plastic armrests of his chair. "Hey, do you think we could get Donnie to put copper doorknobs in at the Lair?

Raph glanced up from the National Geographic he was paging through. "Why would he that?"

"It says here that copper kills almost all bacteria on contact, and aren't doorknobs like, bacteria farms or something?"

Raphael looked up in thought. "Yeah that sounds right. Huh. Maybe….that'd take a lot 'a copper though. We'd hafta …." He drifted off as the elevator chime sounded in the hall. The brothers traded looks of alarm as they stood and flanked the clinic door. Soon they heard elevator doors open, then female voices.

"Ugh, could you believe that? Just when I think people can't get any grosser."

"I know right? At least we're almost done. You got the key?"

"Yup, can you hold this?"

There was the sound of plastic bottles rattling against each other, then turtle luck, a key sliding home into the lock of the doors they were hiding behind. The boy's panicked faces communicated volumes.

What do we do?

How should I know?

We've gotta do something! So what?!

I dunno!

Then, just as the lock thunked open, Raphael reached out and grabbed the doorknob.

A cleaning lady at the end of her night was no match for Raphael's brute strength.

"The hell?"

"What?"

"It won't open."

"Ha ha, very funny. Just open the door, I wanna get done already and go home."

"I'm not joking, the door's stuck or something."

"Whadda yah mean it's stuck!"

"The lock turned but door won't open. I think it's jammed."

"Are you kidding me!?"

Mikey's blue eyes were huge in his face. He mouthed to his brother. Really? That's your plan?

Raphael responded in kind. You gotta bettah idea shell for brains?

Mikey's face warped into a helpless expression as the ladies behind the door now combined their pull to try and open the door. Raphael had to brace himself a little more, but he made sure not to give an inch and ruin the illusion of a stuck door.

"OH COME ON!"

"Well, I guess we're done."

"What?! The boss'll have our hides!"

"Whadda yah wanna do then? We can't get in, how're we supposed to clean? He can't blame us for this."

"I know but.."

"No buts, we came, we tried. Short of breaking in there's nothin' else we can do. We'll send the boss an email so he can explain to the clinic. Beyond that, we're done."

There was a deep sigh. "Ok ok. Let's go. Man this night has sucked."

The ladies' voices drifted away as they walked back to the elevator. The brothers slowly relaxing when they heard the sliding doors open, then close, taking away their chances of being discovered.

"Well done Raphael." Splinter's soft voice whipped the boy's heads around to where he was standing at the waiting room door. He had a soft, amused smile on his face. "That was very quick thinking my son. For the sake of those we have inconvenienced though, could you actually jam the door, so they are not accused of falsehood?"

"Yeah sure Mastah Splintah. Thanks."

The rat bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I did not come for that however."

Mickey stepped forward with obvious nerves. "Sensei?"

Splinter's smile grew. "The procedure was successful. Donatello believes he has found all the sources of bleeding. See to the door then come, it is time to take your brother home."

The trip home was even more awkward. Donatello decided it was easier to deal with an ill, but cooperative Leo, than a loopy, disgruntled Leo. Eventually they managed to schlep their resistant brother back to the Lair and into his medical bed. The stressful excursion was well rewarded though when he slept through the night and into the next day without incident. He still didn't have much of an appetite when he woke, but the vomiting had stopped.

Three days later Donatello finally acquiesced to Leonardo leaving the Lab, though he was under strict instructions to stay off his feet as much as possible. Not until he started eating properly again, and gained back the weight he'd lost would his fretful family be satisfied.

For now though, he was content. Mostly he was just happy not to feel sick anymore, but he was also now able to enjoy their attentions. At the moment he was bundled up on the couch, an episode of Faulty Towers on the TV with a warm bowl of applesauce, slightly flavoured with cinnamon. It doesn't get much better than this. He snuggled down further into the blankets and hummed around the spoon in his mouth. His eyes popped open as a green finger swiped through his snack and into Raphael's mouth. "Not bad." Then Donatello and Michelangelo joined them on the soft cushions, jostling for better positions. Huh, guess it could. He smiled, mmm cinnamon.